Reduce Acquisition Cost, Enhance Retention, Increase Engagement
Overview
CollegeSave is a unique, compelling, and extremely affordable membership benefit that helps consumers afford a college education for their children and grandchildren. For almost two decades, over 370 colleges in 45 states have signed contracts to discount tuition by up to one full year for participating members. The colleges cover 100% of the cost of the tuition discounts, and partners pay only a modest administrative fee per member for the program. The program is only available through affinity partners and is not available to the general public.
CollegeSave is a timely and relevant loyalty, acquisition, retention, and engagement benefit that enables partners to connect emotionally with consumers as an advocate for their best interests, helping them address a very significant financial challenge – affording a college education for their children and grandchildren (“the American Dream”). The Gallup Survey reports that 73% of parents cite saving for their children's college costs as their most significant financial worry and challenge.
History/Credentials
Almost 20 years ago, the former Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at the Wharton Graduate School developed the concept of tuition discounts for private nonprofit colleges to help them more effectively recruit students. He noticed that even then, colleges were discounting tuition in small ways to attract more students, and proposed instead that he could "fill their funnel” with more qualified students if they were willing to discount tuition as much as one full year (25% off the cost of a four-year bachelors degree).
Colleges receive two major benefits: (1) Free access to a flow of students they otherwise would never see (free recruitment) and (2) an earlier opportunity to introduce their institutions to parents and students (most colleges rent names of students taking SAT and ACT exams in 11th grade to begin this effort; CollegeSave provides access to our families when students enter 9th grade). In return, participating colleges sign contracts with the college network obligating them to discount tuition by as much as one full year.
Success: Over the years, the scholarship platform has served 4 million families and in 2016 alone, students submitted $74.6 million in tuition discounts to participating colleges. The college network includes over 370 colleges and continues to grow; 80% of the schools are on the U.S. News & World Report list of America's Best Colleges. There is a 99% retention rate among colleges in the program.
Business Model
CollegeSave is always free to consumers, provided as a benefit to stakeholders for profitable consumer actions or as an employee benefit. Colleges cover the entire cost of tuition discounts and partners pay a small support fee per participant to support the turnkey program. Pricing is volume-based and is very affordable for consumer and employee programs.
This is a win-win-win business model: colleges recruit students at no cost; parents and students save tens of thousands of dollars off tuition; partners use the program to reduce customer acquisition costs, increase retention, and to engage customers every month through program communications and ongoing tuition savings.
Consumer Benefits
CollegeSave licenses the college network to provide tuition discounts and enriches the tuition savings value with additional benefits comprising a full membership designed to help families plan and save for college. Benefits include:
- $1000 worth of instant tuition discounts for each participant
- Earn $250 more worth of tuition discounts each month by viewing our SmartSavings e-newsletter on college savings via email
- Panel of Experts – answer questions via email about college selection, admission and savings
- Personal College Savings Roadmap — complete the form online and within 60 seconds receive a 10-15 page personalized report detailing exactly how much you need to save to reach your college savings goals for all your children (plus we integrate this information with the tuition discounts to show families how much LESS they will need to save to cover college costs)
- National Directory of Homework Helplines — access to live online tutors to help kids get good grades with homework assistance
- SmartSavings monthly e-newsletter — each issue contains a feature story on saving for college, plus tips on squeezing $100 more in savings each month out of a tight family budget
- The newsletter and the monthly Tuition Discount Balance Statement are branded for each partner, providing 24 annual consumer “touches” and opportunities to promote messages and additional products and services to participants every month
Client (Partner) Benefits
Partners enjoy highly visible credit (in customer communications, earned media and traditional and digital advertising) for helping customers address a critical family need – saving for college for their children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins, stepchildren and godchildren from birth to the end of the junior year of high school. The program can be positioned as a loyalty benefit, a rewards redemption option, a purchase incentive, an upgrade incentive from standard to VIP status, and a customer acquisition and retention benefit.
Pricing is so affordable we can reduce customer acquisition cost, and the benefit doubles as a "barrier to exit," enhancing retention. The branded e-newsletter, providing relevant college savings guidance – and earning customers who open it $250 more worth of tuition discounts every month – achieves open rates exceeding 40% in the first 24 hours! Partners engage customers further in the newsletter through branding and a half-page advertising/messaging opportunity to promote additional products and services every month.
Sample 2-Minute Partner Video (video can be customized and branded): https://goo.gl/cMniWY